› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Update post chemotherapy
- This topic has 33 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 6 months ago by
MeNDave.
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- May 22, 2013 at 2:24 am
Hi all,I finished up 4 rounds of Abraxane, Avastin and Carboplatin and had scans last Friday. After my fist tretment I saw a soft tissue tumor on my back disappear. Another lesion on my arm went way down by the third treatment, but after the 4 th started growing again. It Is now quite large and uncomfortable. . The lesion on my back is growing back as well. The lesions in my liver I don’t think are growing like the arm, or I would be in some serious pain. My bone mets in the spine are bothering me off and on. I started on a fentanyl patch and that is giving me less problems than the MS Contin. Such a balancing act, managing pain and the side effects from the pain meds ( nausea, constipation, sleepiness and for me anxiety).
Pet scan results show mixed response with liver and lungs looking better, but increase in a lot of the lymph nodes, soft tissue lesion in arm and thigh quite large as well as bones and buttocks region.
Brain MRI shows multiple small lesions in the cerebellar and cerebral hemispheres as well as a 19 mm lesion in the left occipital lobe. Devastating news!!
I had a good cry with my husband. We continued today with another chemo treatment which had the dose increased as it is helping some of the lesions.
Plan will be to meet with the radiation Oncologist and get going on treatment for the brain mets. My oncologist wants to start me on MEK inhibitor, hopefully it will be approved soon. He is checking on a trial, but I think brain mets exclude you from most trials. He will attend ASCO next week and hopefully there may be other options.
I am so thankful for all of you on this board. It really does help to have fellow warriors going through this together.
Praying for all of us, and let’s keep moving forward .
Julie
I was diagnosed Jan 2011 stage 3. I hoped not to keep progressing like I am, but am so glad for the time I have had with my family and friends. I pray the quality of my life will remain good. Brain wise I think I am asymptotic I feel for my husband who gets all this news and has to support me. He does such a great job. I love him, and am so happy to have him in my life. My daughter will graduate from high school this June. I’m happy to be here for that as well.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:54 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:54 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:54 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:56 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:56 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 3:56 am
Julie i have been thinking of you. Sorry your going through such a rough time but you are not alone abaraxene worked for us only a short time. The 32 mets that were treated are dead or dying but have seven tiny new one. That pretty much kicked us out of trials also. we go to drtomo not sure if we are moving on to temador or if we are going on hospice. Lynn has became very weak and run down.It was so great to see your post I will continue to pray for you. Best of luck my warrior friend. Sending you lots of love and hugs. Ive cried till i became sick today.
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- May 22, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Julie, I am so sorry to read your post, you have been such a strong warrior, fighting with treatment after treatment! I hope that the chemo continues to work on your liver and lungs, and provides some stability until your doctor can find a trial. The brain mets usually respond well to radiation, so praying for you to have good results with treatment. What about AntiPD1 trial once brain mets are stable? Hope ASCO brings us all good news! I am so happy that your daughter is graduating from high school in June, you must be such a proud mother and you will be there cheering her on! God bless you and your husband, keep fighting! Valerie (Phil’s wife) -
- May 22, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Julie, I am so sorry to read your post, you have been such a strong warrior, fighting with treatment after treatment! I hope that the chemo continues to work on your liver and lungs, and provides some stability until your doctor can find a trial. The brain mets usually respond well to radiation, so praying for you to have good results with treatment. What about AntiPD1 trial once brain mets are stable? Hope ASCO brings us all good news! I am so happy that your daughter is graduating from high school in June, you must be such a proud mother and you will be there cheering her on! God bless you and your husband, keep fighting! Valerie (Phil’s wife) -
- May 22, 2013 at 12:22 pm
Julie, I am so sorry to read your post, you have been such a strong warrior, fighting with treatment after treatment! I hope that the chemo continues to work on your liver and lungs, and provides some stability until your doctor can find a trial. The brain mets usually respond well to radiation, so praying for you to have good results with treatment. What about AntiPD1 trial once brain mets are stable? Hope ASCO brings us all good news! I am so happy that your daughter is graduating from high school in June, you must be such a proud mother and you will be there cheering her on! God bless you and your husband, keep fighting! Valerie (Phil’s wife) -
- May 22, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Julia,
Sorry to hear you’re going thru this.For the occipital lobd tumor is anyone talking craniotomy? i had one of those not much bigger, 2.5 cm maybe. Hardest part was showing up that morning. There’s always a small risk, my neurosurgeon said 4-5% risk of complications. If it’s offers and you trust your neurosurgery dept. / surgeons… i’ve had 3 that size or a little larger resected. plus rad followup too. plus smaller ones zapped. The occ. lobe has been stable since oct. 2010. hole in visual field but not too bad. i’m glad i had that one resected. Simultaneous systemic treatment as well is what i had 2nd time around. others stable since july 2011.
wishing you the best for your choices and treatment.
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- May 22, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Julia,
Sorry to hear you’re going thru this.For the occipital lobd tumor is anyone talking craniotomy? i had one of those not much bigger, 2.5 cm maybe. Hardest part was showing up that morning. There’s always a small risk, my neurosurgeon said 4-5% risk of complications. If it’s offers and you trust your neurosurgery dept. / surgeons… i’ve had 3 that size or a little larger resected. plus rad followup too. plus smaller ones zapped. The occ. lobe has been stable since oct. 2010. hole in visual field but not too bad. i’m glad i had that one resected. Simultaneous systemic treatment as well is what i had 2nd time around. others stable since july 2011.
wishing you the best for your choices and treatment.
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- May 22, 2013 at 5:21 pm
Julia,
Sorry to hear you’re going thru this.For the occipital lobd tumor is anyone talking craniotomy? i had one of those not much bigger, 2.5 cm maybe. Hardest part was showing up that morning. There’s always a small risk, my neurosurgeon said 4-5% risk of complications. If it’s offers and you trust your neurosurgery dept. / surgeons… i’ve had 3 that size or a little larger resected. plus rad followup too. plus smaller ones zapped. The occ. lobe has been stable since oct. 2010. hole in visual field but not too bad. i’m glad i had that one resected. Simultaneous systemic treatment as well is what i had 2nd time around. others stable since july 2011.
wishing you the best for your choices and treatment.
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- May 23, 2013 at 12:11 am
Julia, I’m sorry to hear your news… I really hope you respond to the higher dose chemo.
What you said about your husband… he doesn’t HAVE to go through this with you, he WANTS to. You guys are so lucky to have each other. It’s exciting (is that the right word I wonder) that he’s going to ASCO.
I know what you mean about your daughter’s HS graduation. Congratulations, and bring a box of tissues. My son’s graduating college on the 30th and I’m just so thrilled to still be here for this milestone. When my daughter graduated last year, I cried buckets.
I’m thinking of you and hoping the MEK inhibitor is approved very soon– I know the announcement on both drugs is imminent.
Karen -
- May 23, 2013 at 12:11 am
Julia, I’m sorry to hear your news… I really hope you respond to the higher dose chemo.
What you said about your husband… he doesn’t HAVE to go through this with you, he WANTS to. You guys are so lucky to have each other. It’s exciting (is that the right word I wonder) that he’s going to ASCO.
I know what you mean about your daughter’s HS graduation. Congratulations, and bring a box of tissues. My son’s graduating college on the 30th and I’m just so thrilled to still be here for this milestone. When my daughter graduated last year, I cried buckets.
I’m thinking of you and hoping the MEK inhibitor is approved very soon– I know the announcement on both drugs is imminent.
Karen -
- May 23, 2013 at 12:11 am
Julia, I’m sorry to hear your news… I really hope you respond to the higher dose chemo.
What you said about your husband… he doesn’t HAVE to go through this with you, he WANTS to. You guys are so lucky to have each other. It’s exciting (is that the right word I wonder) that he’s going to ASCO.
I know what you mean about your daughter’s HS graduation. Congratulations, and bring a box of tissues. My son’s graduating college on the 30th and I’m just so thrilled to still be here for this milestone. When my daughter graduated last year, I cried buckets.
I’m thinking of you and hoping the MEK inhibitor is approved very soon– I know the announcement on both drugs is imminent.
Karen
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- May 23, 2013 at 2:32 am
Thank you all for your kind and encouraging words.Julie
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- May 23, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Julie. – so sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Keep fighting and putting one foot in front of the other. You are such an inspiration! Amy -
- May 23, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Julie. – so sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Keep fighting and putting one foot in front of the other. You are such an inspiration! Amy -
- May 23, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Julie. – so sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time. Keep fighting and putting one foot in front of the other. You are such an inspiration! Amy
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